But surely she was ill tempered ?" "There was nothing ill natured in her doing or sayings at all," I said.

"The earl angered her a little, but that passed." "Maybe that was enough to put her familiar into a good temper," said Relf, and was satisfied that the common saying was true.
Then I minded a small black cat that belonged to our leech at Bures in the old days.

It would let none come near it but its master.

Yet I have many times seen it perched on the shoulder of the town witch, and she hated the leech sorely.
So I fell to thinking of the old home and ways, soon, as I thought, to be taken up again.

But at the same time there stole into my mind the feeling that I had grown to love this place.
Then with flap of heavy wings and croak of alarm flew up a great heron from a marshy pool, and in a moment all was forgotten as I unhooded my hawk--one that Olaf had given me from the Danish spoils at Canterbury.